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SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY 
Group I No. 226 



HOW TO 

PLAY 
SECOND BASE 



BY 

JOHN J. EVERS 



PUBLISHED BY 

AMERICAN SPORTS PUBLISHING COMPANY 
45 Rose Street, New York 









n 



1,0 



Copyright, 1920 

BY 

American Sports Publishing Company 

New York 



©CIA570844 



JUL.^7 1920 



INTRODUCTION 



While there are certain rules for playing second 
base that are fundamentally the same in all cases, 
it is rare to find two men who play the position 
exactly the same. In preparing this book ' ' How to 
Play Second Base," I have followed as closely as 
possible the method I have employed in the many 
years I have been in the National League. For 
some reason or other an erroneous impression was 
had of second base for a long time — that it was 
a position that could be easily filled for years after 
a player started to go back. That may have been 
the case before the science of team work was de- 
veloped to its present standard and before there 
was sO much of what is termed "inside base ball," 
which, after all, is nothing more than quick team 
work and quick headwork. My experience in play- 
ing second base in the National League has taught 
me that to be successful in the position, one must 
be a hustler. It is a case of hustle all the time, 
with your head, eyes, hands and feet. 

The development of infield play, as I will ex- 
plain in a succeeding paragraph, has brought the 
work of the second baseman and the shortstop up 
to the point where they are practically dependent 
upon each other, because their work is so similar 
that it is quite necessary to have men of almost 
equal ability in those two positions in order that 



4 SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 

the great amount of work between first and third 
bases n*ay be properly taken care of. If one of 
the pair is consistently slower in thought and ac- 
tion than the other, the latter 's work is sure to 
suffer as a result. They must work in unison, con- 
sequently it is essential that one be as fast as the 
other. It is true that the second baseman is not 
called upon to make throws as long as those of 
the shortstop or the third baseman, but he is called 
upon to make short, quick, snappy throws, which 
no player with a dead arm can execute. In the 
field the second baseman is charged with guarding 
the territory between the first baseman and the 
shortstop, just as the latter is supposed to look 
after the territory lying between the second base- 
man and the third baseman. 

It has been my object herein to try and tell oth- 
ers how to play second base, but there are some 
things that a second baseman must do for himself 
— things that no one can do for him or tell him 
how to do them. One of those things is to think. 
It is impossible to formulate a set of rules on 
"How to think when playing second base," for 
no two games of base ball are played alike, con- 
sequently each contest requires different thought. 
And thinking is as important a part of base ball 
playing as is the mechanical work of the game. 
It is necessary to think all the time from start 
to finish, for there is always something to think 
about. There is little to be said in favor of the 
skillful fielder who fails to think. He can handle 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 5 

anything that comes to him, but of what value is 
he who does not know what to do with the ball in 
a confusing situation when he meets one? The 
ball player who is a student of the game will know 
something about every opponent in his league after 
he has played against them a few times. He will 
know how to get set for each batter as he comes 
to the plate and will know as soon as the ball is 
hit just how fast he will have to travel to the 
right or left to place himself in a position to 
field it. A case of studying your own speed as 
compared with that of a batted ball. The mechani- 
cal player who gets set in one position figures on 
the ball coming straight at him and in case it goes 
a little to one side or the other it usually goes 
as a safe hit. Second base play is no harder than 
that of any other position, but to make a success 
of it requires constant practice — practice in execu- 
tion with the hands and feet — practice of the brain 
in thinking out plays quickly, and practice of the 
eyes in order to see a situation quickly and take 
advantage of it. In addition to what I have tried 
to explain in words regarding second base play 
I have sketched some diagrams of plays involv- 
ing the work of second basemen, which I trust 
will be helpful to readers and students of this 
book. _ s 





CHARLES HERZOG 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 



KEEP YOUR EYE ON SECOND BASE 



When a young player starts learning the rudi- 
ments of base ball the first bit of advice that is usu- 
ally handed out by his tutor is ' ' Keep your eye on 
the ball." That, of course, is good advice, for the 
player who loses sight of the ball during the prog- 
ress of a game places himself in danger of being 
caught napping and just as like as not this is apt 
to happen at a critical time when such an error 
of omission might mean the loss of the game to 
his team. It is essential that a player keep his 
eye on the ball all the time whether he be a fielder 
or a base-runner. 

In addition to this, my advice, especially to those 
who play second base, is, "Keep your eye on sec- 
ond base." There have been many arguments as 
to which is the hardest position on a ball club to 
play, and while the dispute has never been defi- 
nitely settled, there can be no argument concerning 
the most important. It is second base. Now, by 
that I do not mean the man who is designated as 
the second baseman is the most important on the 
team, but rather the work that is performed around 
second base. And, in this connection, the short- 
stop plays just as important a part as the man 
designated as the second baseman. In reality, the 
two positions are similar and they might be termed 
left and right second baseman or left and right 
shortstop. 



8 spalding's athletic library. 

There was a time when those in authority in base 
ball considered seriously the suggestion of having 
a tenth man on the team to cover the territory 
between first and second bases, in order to have the 
infield evenly balanced, the idea being to allow 
the second baseman to remain at the base and take 
care of what work came his way. However, an- 
other man on the infield would be about as use- 
ful as the fifth wheel on an automobile and it would 
be next to impossible for runners to get around 
the diamond as frequently as they do now. At 
that time the first baseman seldom moved away 
from his bag and as the second baseman was 
looked upon as having all he could do to handle 
the chances that came his way, many ground hits 
went between first and second safely because there 
was no one to cover the territory. 

As the science of playing the game developed, 
it was shown that the second baseman and short- 
stop, by collaborating in their work, could easily 
cover the territory on either side of the middle 
bag and at the same time take care of the work 
that was to be performed directly at the base. 
And this brings us back to the advice, "Keep your 
eye on second base." This is important, because 
second base is the pivot of the diamond and the 
pivot of nearly seventy-five per cent, of all the 
double plays made in base ball games, whether 
they be in amateur contests or minor or major 
leagues. At all times there should be a man ready 
to make a play at second base, and that man 



Spalding's athletic library. 

should be either the second baseman or the short- 
stop. 

Keeping your eye on second base literally means 
keeping the location of the bag impressed upon 
your mind so that when you are called upon to 
act, either to get over and cover the bag or to 
make a throw to it, it will not be necessary to 
take time to look around and see just where the 
bag is located and how far it is from you. The 
necessity for this lies in the fact that there is no 
fixed place between first and second for the second 
baseman to stand, because of the amount of ground 
lie is obliged to cover to play the position suc- 
cessfully. To get the impression of the location 
of second base indelibly impressed upon the mind 
is not a hard matter. It is, nevertheless, one of 
those things that look simple, but which require 
constant practice to perfect. 

The practice to acquire this should be indulged 
in with the shortstop on plays on both sides and 
in front and rear of the bag. It often occurs 
that the second baseman and shortstop are re- 
quired to field batted balls which compel them to 
make the toss toward second base when out of 
position. To take time to straighten up to make a 
perfect throw would mean the loss of the play 
and the safety of the runner, whereas with the 
fielder knowing the location of the bag and its di- 
rection from the spot where he picked up the ball 
he can make the toss and be reasonably certain 
that it will come within reach of the man covering 



10 spalding's athletic library. 

the bag. Such plays have often been made and 
the players were declared to be lucky. However, 
those plays in a majority of the cases are not luck 
but are the result of the men making them hav- 
ing studied the method of playing their position 
from every angle. 



spalding's athletic library. 11 



THE SECOND BASEMAN'S POSITION 

Where should a second baseman stand to field 
his position to the best advantage ? Anywhere and 
everywhere between first and second bases. The 
things that determine the position of the second 
baseman are his own pitcher and the batter. If 
a batter who has the reputation of being a hard 
hitter is up, play deep for him. By so doing your 
chances of getting him on a ground hit ball are 
much better than by playing in close. In the 
latter position the ball is apt to come with such 
speed that it will be impossible to field it cleanly 
and the greater the speed the greater distance 
it will travel if it caroms off the glove. My ad- 
vice is also to play a deep position when your 
pitcher happens to have lots of speed, and closer 
in if the pitcher be one who depends more on 
curves and slow balls rather than on speed. In 
the cases of exceptionally fast runners it is bet- 
ter to play in, otherwise it would be impossible 
for a second baseman to run in, field a bunt from 
his bat and get him at first base. 

There is always a contest of thinking between 
brainy pitchers and batters, and this has an im- 
portant bearing upon the work of infielders. The 
second baseman has knowledge of the kind of ball 
his pitcher is going to throw and is prepared to 
handle it if it happens to come his way. But the 
batter is often successful in crossing the pitcher 
and thereby upsetting the plans of the defense, 




EDDIE COLLINS 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 



13 



in which event the second baseman must be pre- 
pared to meet the emergency without stopping 
to think it over with himself. There is no time 
for that. If the batter happens to bunt along 
the first base line it becomes the duty of the first 
baseman to act as fielder and consequently it de- 
volves upon the second baseman or the pitcher to 
cover the bag. Likewise, the second baseman 
must be prepared to cover the middle sack or to 
go into short right or short center field for fly 
balls that do not travel far enough to permit the 
fielders to make the catches. These plays are all 
cited as resulting as planned by the defense. 

However, there are many plays in which the 
side at bat is successful in pulling off, such as safe 
hits. The side in the field never plans to permit 
a safe hit if it can be helped. 

"What are the duties of the second baseman and 
where is his proper position when the ball is hit 
safely? Again it is everywhere, according to the 
direction in which the hit is made. If a line 
drive be hit to right field it becomes the duty of 
the second baseman to cover the bag, depending, of 
course, on the nature of the drive. If the hit be 
made to left field, then it becomes the duty of 
the shortstop to cover the bag. On a ball hit 
to center field there must be a quick decision be- 
tween the second baseman and shortstop as to 
which shall cover the base, but at no time, no mat- 
ter where the ball be hit, should second base be 
left uncovered. Another instance of "Keep your 
eye on second base." 



14 spalding's ithletic library. 



THINKING OUT PLAYS IN ADVANCE 

Second base play can be made much easier and 
less confusing if the man playing the position 
will give a little forethought to what might hap- 
pen in his territory. There have been many ball 
players who might be classed with the best in 
the game, so far as mechanical work is concerned, 
but it was because of their failure to think that 
prevented them from being really great stars. 
They depended too much upon their mechanical 
ability and did not bother with such a mere trifle 
of taking in the various situations that might arise 
before a play had been made. And this is one 
of the most essential points in the work of a sec- 
ond baseman. After a man in this position has 
stationed himself for the next play, the first ques- 
tion he should think about and ask himself is, 
""What shall I do with the ball if it is hit to me?" 
If there be no runners on the answer is easy. Get 
it over to first as quickly as possible. But it is 
different with men on any or all of the bases. In 
this event the second baseman must bring his brains 
into action. He must take in the situation at all 
corners, always with the object in mind of pre- 
venting a possible score by the opposing team. If 
there be runners on first and third he must take 
into consideration the lead that each has been able 
to obtain off his pitcher; he must decide for him- 
self whether he shall try for the man going home 



spalding's athletic libeaey. 15 

or the one going to second, with the possibility of 
a double play, and he must decide those things 
quickly, for no time is given to think out what 
shall or ought to be done. Haying made up his 
mind what he is going to do if the ball be hit to 
him, the second baseman must then be prepared 
to alter his plans in an instant, because there is 
the possibility of the batter sending the ball at 
him in a different way than had been anticipated. 
It may be that the second baseman had decided 
to try for the man on third bound for home, but 
the ball may come to him in such a manner as 
to make it impossible to prevent the score, in which 
case the second baseman must think quickly and 
decide what to do as the ball comes to him. It is 
up to him to do something that will benefit his 
team. Some fielders do make up their minds what 
they are going to do with the ball, but the plan 
becomes of little use to them if the situation as 
planned does not result and the fielder is unpre- 
pared to meet the change. In these instances 
thinking beforehand is of little value and there is 
nothing that looks more ridiculous than to have a 
fielder try for a play simply because he bas made 
up his mind to it and which turns out to be im- 
possible and with other chances to retire a run- 
ner if he had only gone a little further in his 
thinking than to make up his mind to one certain 
thing. 




LARRY DOYLE 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIERAKY. 17 



TAKING PART IN RUN-UPS 

An important play in which the second base- 
man is often called to take part has to deal with 
men caught between the bases in run-ups. This 
is one of the class of plays in which it is abso- 
lutely essential that the players keep their heads 
and wits about them until the play is completed. 
The second baseman is frequently called upon to 
assist in those plays in the territory of the other 
infielders and if one of the players taking part 
does not keep his eye on the ball all the time the 
play is likely to result in a failure and the runner 
will land safely on a base. There is one sure way 
to catch a man between the bases, and it is the 
way by which nine out of every ten are handled, 
that is to threaten the runner with the ball until 
you have him chasing down the line at full speed. 
Then throw the ball to the man guarding the bag 
for which the runner is going. The latter will 
have too much speed to reverse his movement read- 
ily, with the result that the man who catches the 
ball can easily run him down and retire him. In 
plays of this kind there should always be one of 
the players of the defense stationed near the bases 
between which the run-up takes place, in order 
that the runner may be trapped in case he suc- 
ceeds in eluding those players nearest to him. 



18 spalding's athletic library. 



TWO GLARING FAULTS 

Two faults which many young infielders, and 
some old ones, have are: trying to throw the ball 
before they get it and losing their heads after 
making an error. The first is due to nervousness 
or overanxiety, and requires constant effort and, 
perhaps, some coaching to overcome. It is essen- 
tial that a player overcome nervousness, no mat- 
ter what effort may be required to reach the goal, 
for nervousness, more than anything else, inter- 
feres with heady, successful work. Errors and in- 
field work are inseparable. If the diamond had the 
smoothness of a floor, the bound of every ball 
could be easily determined and the play made with 
machine-like precision. But on base ball diamonds, 
a little pebble, a tuft of grass or the slightest de- 
pression or hump on the earth, may deflect the 
ball just as the fielder is set to receive it and it 
shoots off to another direction where you were not 
expecting it to go. Such plays require quick ac- 
tion on the part of an infielder, who sometimes 
succeeds in getting his hands on the ball but 
makes a wild throw in his effort to throw out the 
runner while out of position. Other plays of 
this kind often result in the fielder just getting 
his hands on the ball and being charged with an 
error on what appeared to all, except the fielder, 
like an easy chance. 



spalding's athletic library. 19 

These are the plays that sometimes affect a 
player during the entire game. When an error 
has been made, forget it and get back on the job 
for the next play. Go after everything that comes 
anywhere near you, no matter how impossible it 
might seem. Sometimes on seemingly impossible 
plays the ball will take a lucky bound into your 
hands and give you the opportunity of becoming 
the hero of the game. There can be no criticism 
of the player who tries for everything, even if he 
fails to get them all, while the player who is 
solicitous of his own individual record and is 
afraid of making an error is of little value to a 
team. 




JOHN J. BARRY 



spalding's athletic library. 



THE HIGH-LOW GAME PRACTICE 



No doubt every person who has ever witnessed 
a professional base ball game has seen three, four 
or five players standing in a line with another 
player a short . distance away batting the ball to 
them. When the ball is batted and fielded by one 
player it is tossed from one to the other, some- 
times behind their back*, between their legs and 
in all manner of ways. Many spectators have 
watched this sort of practice and characterized it 
as a little grandstand play. But it is one of the 
best forms of practice that players, especially in- 
fielders, can indulge in, and if you will notice 
it is usually the infielders who are in this prac- 
tice. This is called the "high-low" game and its 
purpose is to get the players accustomed to 
handling the ball in every manner and under any 
conditions. The player batting the ball will some- 
times hit it on the ground with greater or less 
force; he will bunt it; he will send it on a line 
drive toward the line of players in front of him, 
or he may intentionally make a wild swing and 
miss the ball. The value of this practice is that 
the players learn to toss the ball back and forth 
more quickly and with the least possible motion 
and it is especially good for the second baseman 
and shortstop, who figure in so many plays in 
which a short, quick toss is necessary. 



22 



VALUE OF UNDERHAND THROW 



One of the most important things for a second 
baseman to develop is the knack of throwing un- 
derhanded perfectly. The natural way for a ma- 
jority of ball players to throw, in fact, a big 
majority of them, is overhand, which means a long 
swing from the shoulder. Watch the young boy 
when he is old enough to engage in the youthful 
pranks of throwing stones, or in the winter throw- 
ing snowballs. Invariably he makes the overhand 
throw and when he becomes a little older and a 
little larger he turns his attention to base ball 
and the overhand throw sticks to him. If he be- 
come a second baseman and continue to use the 
overhand throw he will have the same experience I 
went through. 

When I entered the National League as a mem- 
ber of the Chicago team I was using the overhand 
throw almost exclusively and I noticed that prac- 
tically every second baseman in the league was 
doing the same. During the first couple of years 
with the Cubs I can recall vividly making perfect 
plays from second to first only to have the run- 
ners (fast men) declared safe. And they were 
safe, even though it was only by a small margin. 
After studying the matter I came to the conclu- 
sion that the infinitely small fraction of a second 
that enabled the runner to beat out my throw was 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 



23 



lost during the time I picked up the ball and threw 
it to first. I had been making the plays just as 
fast as I thought it was possible to make them, but 
I figured that there must be a way to stop run- 
ners, no matter how fast they were, on perfectly 
executed plays. With a suddenness it came to me 
that the delay was in making the throw and it 
was then I realized the advantage of being able 
to make a perfect underhand throw. 

The difference in time in making an overhand 
and underhand throw seems so small as to be un- 
important, but getting down to a mathematical 
calculation of the difference it will be seen that the 
difference is quite sufficient to have an important 
bearing and this is especially true when two teams 
are evenly matched and playing a close game. 
The underhand throw is recommended for second 
basemen, because the player in that position is 
called upon to make a shorter throw to first than 
either the shortstop or third baseman and more 
often he is called upon to make throws from more 
awkward positions than the other infielders. 

In order to make an overhand throw after field- 
ing the ball, the second baseman is obliged to stand 
up to a certain extent and then comes the long 
swing from the shoulder. With the development 
of the underhand throw a second baseman may 
field the ball in any position and snap it over to 
first without straightening up, which enables him 
to make the play a little faster, and another small 
fraction of a second is gained because of the short, 



24 spalding's athletic libraky. 

snappy throw as compared with the long swing 
necessary for the overhand throw. 

"What is the difference in time between an over- 
hand and underhand throw? Can you imagine 
or get an idea of how long, or, to be more exact, 
how short one-tenth of a second is? "Well, it is 
considerably less time than it takes to snap your 
fingers and yet that is enough to make a differ- 
ence when you have a fast man going to first. The 
record for running the distance from the plate 
to first base, a distance of ninety feet, is three and 
one-fifth seconds. This means that the runner is 
covering about twenty-eight feet per second. If 
you are making a play on men who travel down 
to first at that clip you cannot afford to lose even 
one-tenth of a second, because even so small a loss 
of time will give the runner an advantage of 2.8 
feet according to the foregoing example. And you 
can snap your fingers several times while a sec- 
ond baseman is straightening up and swinging to 
make an overhand throw. 

Kealizing the importance of the underhand 
throw, one might ask, "How can it be developed ?" 
The answer is, "Practice." And the practice must 
be continuous, day in and day out, every time 
you handle the ball. One of the requisites in the 
development of the underhand throw is to know 
exactly where first base is located from any posi- 
tion the second baseman is called to assume by a 
play and without looking directly toward first base. 
This will be considered bad advice by the believers 



Spalding's athletic library. 25 

in the old saying, "Look before you leap," but 
it is an asset and almost a necessity that can be 
acquired by practice. 

At first the practice of underhand throwing 
should be made from a stationary position. Then 
it should be practiced with batted balls, running 
to the right and to the left. At first there will 
be many throws that will go wide of first base, but 
as the eye becomes accustomed to the location of 
the bag without looking toward it, judgment will 
be acquired and will help direct the throws in 
the right direction. 

Another advantage of the underhand throw is 
the assistance it gives the first baseman in receiv- 
ing the ball at close range. Although it is possible 
to put considerable speed in an underhand throw, 
as a rule they do not come to the first baseman 
with the same force of an overhand throw. If an 
overhand throw is missed by the first baseman its 
force is likely to carry the ball far enough away 
to enable the runner to gain an extra base, whereas 
an underhand throw that is missed, because of its 
lesser force, can be retrieved before the runner 
can go down to the next base. And the overhand 
throw, coming from the second baseman at close 
quarters, is more liable to be missed by the first 
baseman than is the underhand throw. 



,-:-— r~-v 




JOHN J. EVERS 



Spalding's athletic library. 27 



CATCHING WITH ONE HAND 



Another important line of practice for second 
baseman is catching the ball with the gloved hand 
at all angles without putting the throwing hand 
to the ball. The fans will often get after a player 
for trying to make such catches and will urge him 
to ''put two hands to it," but there is a distinct 
advantage in being able to catch the ball with the 
gloved hand, especially in touching runners com- 
ing into second. The one-hand catching should be 
indulged in in the warming up practice before the 
game and should be tried in every position it is 
conceivable to get the gloved hand in. With a 
runner coming into second the man covering the 
bag must keep his eye on the bag, so that he will 
not be drawn off too far and make it impossible to 
touch his man, and at the same time he must 
be in a position to keep in contact with the bag 
and yet be ready to receive the ball with a back- 
hand or sidearm catch without the assistance of 
the throwing hand. In this manner it is possible 
to make the catch and bring the arm down with 
one sweep onto the runner. A little practice will 
demonstrate that a runner can be touched much 
quicker with one hand than when two are used. 



STOPPING STEALS OF SECOND 



The second baseman, or the shortstop, whichever 
is to take the throw from the catcher, is often 
held responsible for the successful steal of second 
base by opposing base-runners. As a matter of fact, 
there is only one instance in which the player cov- 
ering second on the throw may be held responsi- 
ble and that is when he drops the ball after the 
runner has been clearly blocked or beaten to the' 
bag by the ball. 

Aside from that, successful base stealing depends 
upon two things: bad throws by the catcher and 
the lead the runner is able to obtain off the pitcher. 
Tests have been made and have proved that the 
fastest runners the game has ever had cannot travel 
the ninety feet from one base to another as quickly 
as the ball can be relayed from the pitcher to 
the catcher to second base, and the ball traveling 
those relays covers about twice the distance be- 
tween bases or nearly 180 feet. 

Thus it will be seen from this that the success- 
ful base-runner must depend upon something else 
besides his speed. If the pitcher is not particular 
about keeping a runner close to first the latter 
will edge up toward second, little by little, until 
he has a commanding lead of ten, twelve or some- 
times fifteen feet. Such a lead will give an ordi- 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 29 

nary fast runner a decided advantage in beating 
the ball to second. 

Another fault of some pitchers that helps base- 
runners to steal second is a long, slow windup be- 
fore delivering the ball to the batter. In this case 
the runner needs only to have a short lead and 
then make his dash for second. Once the pitcher 
has started his windup to pitch he cannot recall 
his arm and try for the runner, for it would be 
a balk and the runner would be entitled to go 
to second without danger of being put out. So, 
even though the pitcher sees the runner making 
a mad dash for second, he is obliged to go through 
with the pitch and depend upon a quick throw by 
the catcher to get the man. Many stolen bases 
are made possible because of wide throws by the 
catcher to the right or left of the bag, too far for 
the second baseman to handle and put the ball on 
the runner. 

When taking the backstop's effort to catch a 
runner coming down from first, stand to the left 
of the bag. Nearly every runner will attempt to 
get into the base behind the baseman and every 
inch you can gain on him will help when the um- 
pire's decision is handed down. 




D. B. PRATT 



spalding's athletic library . 31 



ADVICE AGAINST BLOCKING 



One of the worst habits a second baseman can 
acquire is that of trying to block runners com- 
ing into second. In the first place it is danger- 
ous. My advice to second basemen is never try 
to block a runner. It is only necessary to touch 
a runner and there is no occasion for trying to 
dump him over in order to have him declared 
out by the umpire. During my time I have seen 
several come into the National League who looked 
like promising second basemen and their efforts 
in trying to block runners helped to shorten their 
careers in the major leagues. In one particular 
case I have in mind the second baseman was small 
of stature. In one of his early games in the Na- 
tional League it happened that a runner on first, 
a big, powerful man, attempted to steal second. 
The smaller man got right in his path and the 
inevitable happened. There was a collision, with 
the result that the little fellow was sent sprawling 
on the ground several feet away from the bag, 
while the big man safely reached the base. 

Second basemen should not forget that, while 
their object is to retire the runner, the latter also 
has an object and it is to reach the base, no mat- 
ter how he gets there. As a result of the block- 
ing incident cited, the little man never had much 
success playing second, because he felt the effects 



32 spalding's athletic library. 

of that collision for some time and afterwards had 
a certain amount of fear when called upon to 
cover the bag on a play at second. The result 
was that players of opposing teams soon became 
aware of this and none hesitated about going down 
to second when playing against the little man's 
team. Needless to say this second baseman soon 
passed out of the major league. 

Steals of second are invariably close plays and 
are seldom made without the runner sliding into 
the bag. Because of this the best position to as- 
sume is to stand about six inches from the bag on 
the baseline, with the legs spread apart but not 
too far, as this would be apt to make you lose your 
balance easily. With the second baseman in this 
position the runner has plenty of opportunity to 
slide in under the second baseman and the latter, 
if he receives a throw from the catcher, has only 
to reach down and touch the runner. There is 
little danger of being spiked in assuming this po- 
sition unless the runner throws his legs directly 
at those of the second baseman intentionally and 
with the object of injuring him, but in justice to 
the men in the major leagues it may be said that 
none of them ever resort to such unsportsmanlike 
plays. 

The position of the second baseman as outlined 
also makes it impossible for the runner to exe- 
cute the hook slide or the fallaway, whereas if 
the second baseman stands back of the bag to re- 
ceive the throw and then endeavors to reach for- 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. *o 

ward and touch the runner, the latter can easily 
hook his toe to the corner of the bag on the inside 
and throw his body toward the diamond and out 
of reach of the second baseman. Therefore, in 
covering the base on plays of this kind remember 
that all that is necessary is to touch the runner 
and that as lightly as possible and get out of his 
way after that in order to avoid any possible 
collision. Some players get the idea of "I'll get 
him, no matter how." But my advice is never 
try to block a runner, especially if he be larger 
than yourself. 




J. A. NIEHOFF 



spalding's athletic library. 35 



IMPORTANT FOOT-WORK 



An important bit of footwork in connection with 
playing second base often enters into plays when 
the second baseman receives a short toss from the 
shortstop and then makes a quick throw to first 
to complete a double play. The second baseman 
should practice placing his toe on the bag when 
about to receive a toss from the shortstop and then 
draw his foot over the base as he makes the throw 
to first. The importance of this footwork is that 
the second baseman cannot always watch the run- 
ner coming into second, and as all that is neces- 
sary is to touch the bag, he can easily get out of 
the way of the runner and thus avoid the danger 
of collision. This little trick should be practiced 
with both feet, as the second baseman is never sure 
on which side of the bag a short toss from the 
shortstop will come. 



36 spalding's athletic library. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOVE 



No good mechanic can be expected to perform 
good work unless he be fitted out with good tools. 
Hence it is important that base ball players de- 
velop a glove which is best suited to them. The 
trouble with most players, and particularly in- 
fielders, is that they pay little or no attention to 
this matter. They get a glove and after it is 
"broken in" they are satisfied. But they lose 
sight of the fact that that glove is going to wear 
out some day and then it will be necessary for 
them to start the process all over again. I have 
always made it a practice to have three or four 
gloves on the go at the same time. These I take 
on to the field for preliminary practice, use one 
for a few minutes, then the others until I have 
given each its turn. When a player has his glove 
broken in so that it suits him he should guard it 
carefully and not let other players use . it. It 
would be next to impossible for me to use an- 
other's glove. I still have in my possession the 
glove I used in the world 's series between the Cubs 
and White Sox in 1906. I used it in every world 's 
series in which I participated after that and in 
some of the most important league series between 
my club and others. I prize that glove so highly 
that I use it only on the most important occa- 
sions, and while it would not be worth two cents 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEARY 37 

to any other player I would not part with it for 
anything. The palm is entirely gone, so that the 
entire front of my hand is visible, but with the 
palm gone that glove has been shaped to my hand 
so that it is possible for me to make one-hand 
catches without closing my fingers upon the ball. 

Infielders as a rule get many hard knocks on 
their hands, and while the hands eventually be- 
come hardened many players do not like to take 
chances with softened gloves. A glove that has 
not been broken in will take a little of the sting 
from a hard hit grounder or liner, but at the same 
time it is likely to result in the safety of the runner 
at first. The harder the glove is the harder it 
is to hold speedy balls, and a fielder has to be ex- 
traordinarily fast on his feet to recover a fumble 
of a hard hit ball and get his man at first. Many 
times scorers credit batters with safe hits and ex- 
cuse the infielders from errors because they judged 
the ball was hit too hard to handle, while as a 
matter of fact the fault of the misplays lies in the 
hard gloves worn by the fielders. 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBEAEY. 



AS TO SIGNALS 

I would not advise the beginner in base ball to 
go in for signals, as there is too much of the game 
itself to be learned first. Signals are really a post- 
graduate course in base ball and there is no com- 
mon basis on which a set of signals can be built. 
Every team has a different code, and if it were 
possible to easily detect the signals of an oppos- 
ing team much of the interest in base ball would 
be lost. 



spalding's athletic library. 39 



ADVICE FOR SECOND BASEMEN IN 
A LINE OR TWO 



Always keep your eye on the ball. 

Always keep your eye and your mind on sec- 
ond base. 

Carry in your mind at all times a mental pic- 
ture of the diamond and where the bases are 
located from your fielding position. 

Study plays and possible plays before it is time 
to execute them and be prepared to meet any emer- 
gency in case the play does not turn out as antici- 
pated. 

Have a complete and harmonious understanding 
with your shortstop on all plays. 

Do not hesitate about going after a ball because 
of the fear of making an error. Every man in 
every line of business makes mistakes. 

Pay special attention to breaking in your gloves. 
It is best to have three or four ready for service 
at all times. 

Never leave second base uncovered no matter 
what the play. Something is liable to happen at 
that corner any time. 

Don't try to block runners coming into second 
base. It is dangerous to yourself and the runner 
and is not the best manner of trying to retire a 
runner. 




E. S. YOUNG 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRABY. 41 

Practice the underhand throw until it becomes 
perfect with little or no effort. 

Whenever it be possible get in front of the ball 
to field it. 

Take up your position in the field where you 
can work to the best advantage of your team. This 
should be governed largely by the opposing bat- 
ter and the manner in which your own pitcher is 
working. 

Don't try to make a play that is impossible and 
don't throw the ball to a base after the runner 
has reached there safely. In such cases it is best 
to hold the ball rather than make a useless throw. 
The latter may result in an error and an extra 
base for the runner. 

Practice catching the ball with the gloved hand 
and putting it on the runner with one motion. 
It comes in handy on close plays. 

Do not get set for a certain kind of hit ball. 
You may be obliged to go to the right or left or 
you may be called upon to leap into the air to 
intercept a line drive. Assume an easy, natural 
attitude, prepared to go in any direction in which 
the ball may be hit. 

You cannot get too much practice at fielding 
and throwing. 

Don 't be a slacker if you expect to become a first- 
class player. 

Kemember that there are no distinct limitations 
to a second baseman's territory. His range is 
every inch of ground on which it is possible for 
him to make a play. 




DIAGRAM NO. 1 

Double Play — Shortstop to Second Base to First Base. 
Broken line shows oonrse of ball from batter and during 
play; continuous line shows where second baseman left 
his position to cover bag. 



spalding's athletic library. 43 



PLAYS FOR SECOND BASEMEN 



Two of the most common plays in which second 
basemen are called upon to officiate in conjunc- 
tion with other players are the common double 
plays — second to short to first, and short to second 
to first. These being the most common of double 
plays it is only natural that in any league dur- 
ing an entire season it will be found that more 
than seventy-five per cent, of all double plays are 
those started by the second baseman and short- 
stop. They look so easy to need little or no prac- 
tice to attain perfection in them, but they will be 
mussed up many times unless there is perfect har- 
mony in play and understanding between the short- 
stop and second baseman. 

If, with a runner on first, the batter hit the ball 
toward the shortstop, it is the duty of the second 
baseman to immediately run toward the middle 
sack in order to receive the throw and relay the 
ball to first with the least possible delay. If 
the second baseman hesitates for a fraction of a 
second, the shortstop is delayed just that long in 
making his throw and while it may be possible 
to get the man going to second the chances for 
completing the double play are materially lessened. 
This play is shown in Diagram No. 1. 

Many times when the ball is hit toward the short- 
stop the double play can be more quickly executed 



44 spalding's athletic library. 

by eliminating the second baseman from the play, 
but this is only in cases where the ball is hit 
close enough to the second base to enable the 
shortstop to field the ball, step on the bag, retir- 
ing the runner coming from first, and make the 
relay to first in one movement. In plays of this 
character the second baseman must be careful not 
to interfere with the work of the shortstop or the 
base-runner as the latter may be allowed second 
base for interference. The second baseman, how- 
ever, must be close enough to recover the ball in 
case it is dropped by the shortstop in his anxiety to 
complete the play. This play is shown in Diagram 
No. 2. 

Both of the foregoing plays are often reversed, 
with the second baseman starting them. When a 
runner is on first and the ball is hit in the direc- 
tion of the second baseman it becomes the duty of 
the shortstop to cover second to receive the throw. 
Even though it be impossible to complete a double 
play it is always the better base ball to retire the 
runner nearest the home plate. Likewise in this 
play, the second baseman, after making the throw 
to the midway, must be careful to avoid collision 
with the runner going to second and also to avoid 
interfering with the shortstop's throw to first. 
This play is shown in Diagram No. 3. 

There are two ways in which double plays may 
be executed from second baseman to first baseman 
on balls batted on the ground, as shown in Dia- 
grams Nos. 4 and 5. In the former it is shown 




DIAGRAM NO. 2 
Double Play — Shoktstop to First Baseman. 
Broken line shows course of ball to shortstop ; continuous 
line indicates shortstop running distance to second base 
and relay of ball to first is shown by broken line from 
second to first. 



? te%„ 




DIAGRAM NO. 3 
Double Play — Second to Short to First. 
Broken line indicates course of ball as having been hit 
to second baseman, relayed to second, where shortstop 
covers bag, and then relayed to first. Continuous line 
indicates where shortstop left position to cover bag. 




DIAGRAM NO. 4 
Double Play — Second Baseman to First. 
Broken line shows course of ball hit to second baseman, 
who touched base and then relayed ball to first. Con- 
tinuous line shows distance covered by second baseman to 
touch second base. 



48 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 



that the ball has been batted close to second base 
on the right side of the bag. The second baseman, 
being on his job, scooped up the ball, touched sec- 
ond, retiring the runner coming from first and then 
snapped the ball to the first baseman. In Dia- 
gram No. 5 the double play is practically the same, 
except that the second baseman after fielding the 
batted ball touches the runner on the line and then 
makes his toss to first. In both these plays it be- 
comes the duty of the shortstop to take up his 
position near second base to be ready for any 
emergency. 

The second baseman 's duty in a sacrifice hit play 
is shown in Diagram No. 6. With a man on first 
the first baseman will always play close to the bag. 
If a sacrifice hit is planned it becomes the duty 
of the first baseman or pitcher to take care of the 
fielding of the ball, while the second baseman 
rushes to cover first and the shortstop is charged 
with looking after a possible play at second. 

Diagram No. 7 shows a play that is often exe- 
cuted by quick-thinking second basemen. With 
runners on first and second the ball is hit slowly 
toward the shortstop, who fields the ball and tosses 
to second, but too late to retire the man coming 
from first. In most cases of this kind a runner 
going to third will overrun the bag and if the second 
baseman is quick to act and makes a fast throw to 
third it will often result in the base-runner being 
retired before he can get back to the bag. 

The duties of the second baseman with regard 




DIAGRAM NO. 5 
Double Play. 
Second baseman touches runner on the line and then 
relays ball to first. 




DIAGRAM NO. 6 

Sacrifice Hit Play. 
First baseman is drawn away from bag to field ball; 
second baseman covers first and shortstop covers second. 
Broken line indicates course of ball ; continuous lines 
indicate where shortstop and second baseman left their 
positions. 




DIAGRAM NO. 7 

Catching a Runner Overrunning Third Base. 

The piny beins; too slow to retire runner at second, second 

baseman, by quick throw to third, can often catch runner 

who has overrun third base. 



52 



SPALDING S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 



to line drives to the outfield are defined in Dia- 
grams 8 and 9. In the former, on a hit to left 
field, the shortstop is charged with covering the 
bag to receive the throw from the left fielder in 
the event of the base-runner attempting to make 
second on his hit, the second baseman placing him- 
self in a position to back up the shortstop. 

On a hit to right field the conditions are just re- 
versed. In this case the second baseman is the one 
to cover the middle sack while the shortstop as- 
sumes a position to back up the second baseman in 
case there be a wide throw. Thus again these two 
plays show clearly the importance of the second 
baseman and shortstop playing in conjunction with 
each other and having a thorough understanding 
between them. 

A double play that is often confusing, even to 
professional teams, is from second baseman to first 
baseman to shortstop. The ball is hit to the second 
baseman on the line, with a runner on first. The 
latter stops to avoid being touched and the second 
baseman runs him back toward first, then throws 
to first to retire the batter, thus taking the force 
off the runner who was on first. The latter re- 
verses and again starts for second and has to be 
touched in order to be retired, which is accom- 
plished by the first baseman throwing the ball to 
the shortstop covering second base. 



(A 




DIAGRAM NO. 8 

Safe Hit to Left Field. 
Shortstop leaves fielding position to cover second base 
on throw-in from left fielder, while second baseman goes 
over to back up shortstop. 





DIAGRAM NO. 9 

Safe Hit to Right Field. 

Second baseman leaves his fiielding position to corer 

second base, while shortstop runs over to back up secoiS 

baseman on throw-in from right fielder. -«<-oihi 




DIAGRAM NO. 10 
Double Play — Second Base to First Base to Shortstop. 
Ball hit to second baseman on the line; man on first run- 
ning to second stops to avoid being touched ; second base- 
man runs him back to first, then throws to first baseman, 
putting out the batter and thus taking the force off the 
base-runner, who reverses and starts for second. He has 
to be touched to be put out, which results from the first 
baseman throwing to the shortstop covering second base. 



•58 spalding's athletic library. 



KEEPING IN CONDITION 

The three principal requisites of a successful base 
ball player are natural ability, constant practice 
and keeping in good physical condition. Over the 
first the player has no control, as ability to play 
base ball just a little better than the ordinary youth 
does it is a gift of Nature, just as some are gifted 
musicians, orators, etc. But the player has abso- 
lute control over the two other requisites to success 
on the diamond and the young men who get a 
chance in the major leagues and fail can blame 
themselves in nine cases out of ten. If a young 
man finds that he has natural ability as a base ball 
player it is up to himself to develop that ability to 
its highest by constant practice, and having done 
this it is np to him to maintain that standard by 
strictly caring for and guarding his physical con- 
dition. 

In the earh- part of the training season an ambi- 
tious player is likely to ruin his chances for success 
by starting the work at too fast a pace. He should 
take things easy and gradually work into form. 
Physically, a player may feel that he is in good 
condition, but taxing his muscles and tendons by 
violent exercise at the start may cause an injury 
that will cut short his career on the diamond. All 
athletes, after a long layoff, are bound to feel some 
soreness when they start a period of training, but 
this will gradually wear away as the work pro- 



Spalding's athletic libeary. 57 

gresses and the athlete finds himself able to go the 
full route without any signs of fatigue. 

It is at this stage that athletes and base ball 
players become careless. They feel that having 
acquired a good physical condition, their daily work 
will keep them in shape, and they often make the 
mistake of indulging in too many liberties during 
their idle hours. 

Base ball has often been characterized as an easy 
profession for the men who earn their livelihood 
by it, but the players who look upon it as such 
seldom remain in the major leagues for any great 
length of time. 

The two principal topics relative to a base ball 
player's physical condition are diet and habits. 
The player who feels that because he does not have 
to report for work until noon or, in some cases, 
later, and because of this can keep late hours and 
sleep late in the morning, is making a big mistake. 
It is essential that a base ball player live as regu- 
larly as men in other walks of life and you will 
find in the lives of most successful base ball players 
that they have been men who have retired at regu- 
lar hours, got a good night's sleep and arose at a 
seasonable hour in the morning. 

My advice to young players regarding the use of 
tobacco and intoxicants is to abstain totally from 
them, especially during the playing season. Some 
will advise that the use of these in moderation is 
not harmful ; that may be the fact, but the surest 
way is total abstinence, and then there can be no 



58 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 

question about it. The best medical authorities 
agree that smoking is not good for the wind and 
if there is anything that is important to a base ball 
player it is ability to go through a full game at top 
speed if required to do so. 

As to a player 's diet I believe in him eating what- 
ever he likes, but he must be careful as to the time 
he eats. And in this connection the necessity of 
having a good night's sleep makes itself felt. The 
player who retires at ten or eleven o'clock can get 
in nine hours' sleep and arise at seven or eight in 
the morning. A good breakfast will sufficiently 
sustain him until noon and at this hour a lunch of 
the lightest kind will carry him through his after- 
noon's work — the game. I have found a dish of ice 
cream or a bowl of soup quite sufficient to satisfy 
my appetite, whereas a hearty meal just before 
game time will make a player feel heavy and inac- 
tive. I have found it more beneficial to go through 
the game with as little food as possible and then, 
after the day's work was done, to enjoy a good 
meal, thus giving the digestive organs plenty of 
time to perform their functions before bedtime. 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY 



Some New Books on Base Ball 

How to Bat. By John B. Foster, editor of Spalding's Official 
Base Ball Guide and Spalding's Official Base Ball Record. 
Spalding Athletic Library series No. 80R. Price 25 cents. 

It has been demonstrated that the boy who is a beginner in 
base ball — and the beginner who may not invariably be a boy — 
is helped a great deal by the iniormation which he receives 
from practical instruction about outdoor games. Once there 
was a time when people were a little inclined to scoff at' the 
iciea of instruction. It was their impression that all games were 
"sort o' acquired second nature." That belief has been well 
corrected. 

In any book of instruction which is written by one with prac- 
tical knowledge there may be one hint or one statement of 
value which is worth the reading of the book and many times 
its cost. 

In his new book, "How to Bat," Mr. Foster, who has been 
long associated with base ball in all capacities, has obtained his 
information from the fountain source. One by one the various 
topics that help to make a good batter are touched upon. 

In "How to Bat" the value of good batting is emphasized. 
The "attack" in the 1 strategy of base ball is one of its most 
interesting features! Some think it is the most interesting. For 
that reason the subject of bunting is taken up, the theory and 
good effect of the sacrifice is discussed, the theory of the hit- 
and-run play is outlined, the beginner is told a great deal about 
placing hit's, which, by the way, is a sure token of expertness 
gii the part of a player, and the best methods of "straightout" 
batting are outlined. 

How to Pitch.. Compiled by J. Ed Wray, sport expert for the 
St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Spalding Athletic Library series 
No. 79R. Price 25 cent's. 

Keeping pace with the changes in the rules, which have read- 
justed all the theories about pitching, the writer of this most 
recent work has gone into the subject of serving the ball to the 
batter from every standpoint. It is a work of instruction and 
analysis as well as one of sound advice. 

Explanation is given of the curves and the best use to which 
they can be put during a ball game. The beginner is told how 
tc effect change of pace and is also given sound advice as to 
how he should pitch to batters. The matter of control is empha- 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY 

s ; zed and the author has made a very practical demonstration 
as to one way in which control can be obtained. Of course, it 
is based on practise, but all of the good points in base ball are 
brought out by practise. 

The beginner is told how to keep in condition and what to do 
to keep in condition. Excellent advice is given him as to what 
is best for the ball player. Even if during the summer season 
one plays in nothing but amateur games, it is better to follow 
sound and sane methods of diet and general work than to 
indulge in foods or dainties which are not the proper thing for 
the human body. 

New and original diagrams show many points in base ball 
which are at the best not well understood by the beginner, but 
which the diagrams may make more clear. Mention is made 
of the "freak ball" pitching, but as the day of "freak" pitching 
is gone in base ball no extended analysis is entered into, and 
the beginner is advised, as a matter of fact, not to fool with 
the "freak deliveries," as they are called. They will simply 
spoil him for better work. 

There are chapters by the best authorities in base ball on the 
various points of good pitching. Walter Johnson has something 
to say, and so have other pitchers who have made reputations 
for themselves on the base ball field. It is certain that every 
player who is interested in pitching will find this book so full 
of valuable information that he is bound to improve his own 
style. 

Base Ball for Boys. Compiled by John B. Sheridan, sport expert 
for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and the originator of the 
small size diamond for boys adopted by the National and 
American Leagues at their annual meetings at Chicago, 1920. 
Spalding Athletic Library series No. 365. Price 10 cents. 

This is a new book on the game of base ball for the "small 
boy." It is written simply and plainly from an instructive stand- 
point. It is of value to the beginner of older years, but its 
main purpose is to encourage the little fellow to develop by 
right methods his inborn desire to play base ball well. 

Sound advice is given about pitching. If the learner begins 
to pitch the right way he will get into the thick of base ball 
with much more interest than if he performs for the better part 
of his boyhood days as an awkward novice. The author pro- 
vides helps for batting. He gives points on the right way to 
play to make runs, and runs are what win ball games. All 
through the work the aim of the author has been to teach base 
ball bv contrast. That is, to point out the incorrect ways and 
then cite the correct way, with the testimony of some expert to 
illustrate the correct way. 



SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY 

In connection with the adoption of an "official diamond" and 
an official base ball for boys it is assured that all of their 
matches in the future will take on more of a "real champion- 
ship" than they have in the past. Mr. Sheridan has labored to 
make it plain to the boys who will compete in the games on 
their "own diamond" what policy is best to be pursued when- 
ever an emergency arises in a game. There are "emergencies" 
ir boys' games exactly as there are in the games of the "grown- 
ups" and possibly one mistake which has been made in recent 
years is that of paying too little attention to the small boys' 
"emergencies." 



Every boy should be familiar with the rules of the game that 
he plays, especially since the base ball rules have been changed. 
Spalding's Guide contains the official rules, together with expla- 
nations — something that has not been done in base ball rules 
before — and a number of new "Knotty Problems." For those 
who wish to carry the rules only on the field, the rules section 
has been bound separately in such a manner that it can be 
extracted without damaging the rest of the book. All the other 
features that have made the Guide so popular in the past are 
included. Price 25 cents. 

For complete list of books of the Spalding Athletic Library 
series, see front pages. 



s5bst,tt E THE SPALDING 






TRADEMARK^ S B 



Spalding "Official National League" Ball 

(EEG. U.S. PAT. OFF.) 



The 

Official Ball 

of the 

World 

Series 



JKfiR. 





Adopted 

by the 
National 

League 

Patent 
Cork Center 

Patented 
August 31, 1909 



No. 1. Used in all Championship games. Double 

stitched, red and black Each, (jJO ^f\ 

m • $u.00 Doz. «P^*W 

SPALDING RUBBER CORE LEAGUE BALL 

No. 1 A. Pure Para rubber center. Superior to any other rubber center ball made. 

Best quality throughout Each, $2.00 • $21.00 Doz. 

SPALDING 
"OFFICIAL NATIONAL LEAGUE" JR. BALL 

Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. 

No. Bl. Patent cork center, slightly smaller in size 
than our"Official National League"(Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.) 

Ball No. 1 Each, $1.75 

MINOR LEAGUE 
No. 2. Full size. Yarn wound. Horsehide cover. 

League quality Each, $1.50 

SPALDING MATCH 
No. 4. Full size. Horsehide cover. Each, $1.00 

SPALDING JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL 
No. 7B. Slightly under regular size. Horsehide 

cover. Carefully made Each, 55c. 

SPALDING KING OF THE DIAMOND 
No. 5. Full size; has horsehide oover. Each. 55c. 
No. 8. SPALDING LEAGUE JUNIOR. A popu- 
lar boys' size ball. Karatol cover. . Each, 30c. 

No. 6. STAR. Full size. Karatol cover Each. 30c. 

No. 12. BOYS' FAVORITE. A good boys' size; two-piece cover. 20c. 

No. 13. ROCKET. Two-piece cover. Boys' size ' 12t. 

The prices printed in italics opposite items marked with ~k will be quoted only 
on orders for one-half dozen or more at one time. Quantity prices not allotted on 
it ems not marked with if 




<<? Official^ 




PiOMPT ATTENTION BIV£« TO I 

ANT COMMUNICATIONS 

ADDRESSED TO US 



A. G.SPALDING & BROS. 

STORES IN, ALL LARGE CITIES 



FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORES 
SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER 
OF THIS BOM 



PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. f«. c«»di«, o^ce. «e .pecui C« 



Catalogue 



fAE SPALDING 



TRADE-MARK^, E V ES 




SPALDING BASEMEN'S MITTS 

No. ABX. "Stick on the Hand." 

The "Stick-on-the-Hand" construc- 

^fAl-DlHC r> ^ on w ^ prove of wonderful assist. 

* &totuo ^** <> ' «^ ance. Laced, except around thumb 

^§|1' and heel, leather lace; strap-and- 

«PI| 91 buckle adjustment at thumb. 

Each, $13.50 

■ No. AXP. "World Series." Finest 

white tanned buck; leather lacing 

19 around mitt, including thumb ; strap- 

\|fif and-buckle fastening. Leather strap 
m support at thumb. King Patent 
Padding Each, $12.00 

N ABX N °* BXP " " World Series." Finest 
selected brown calfskin ; leather lac- 
ing ; strap-and-buckle fastening. Leather strap support at thumb. King 
Patent Padding Each, $11.00 

No. BXS. "League Special." Selected brown calfskin, bound with 
brown leather. Leather laced, except heel; leather strap support at 
thumb ; strap-and-buckle fastening Each, $10.00 

No. BXB. "Well Broke." Brown horsehide, bound with leather. 
Leather laced, except thumb and heel. Strap-and-buckle adjustment at 
thumb Each, $8.00 

.No. CD. "Red Oak." Oak colored leather with leather binding. Leather 
laced, except at thumb and heel, leather strap support at thumb. Strap- 
and-buckle fastening Each, $6.50 

No. CX. "Semi-Pro." Face of specially tanned smoke color leather, 
back of firm tanned brown leather, laced all around. Strap-and- 
buckle fastening Each, $5.00 

No. CXS. "Amateur." Special oak colored leather. Correctly 
padded; laced, except at heel. Strap-and-buckle fastening. Each, $4.00 

No. DX. "Double Play." Oak tanned leather; laced all around, 
except at heel. Strap-and-buckle fastening. Nicely padded. .Each, $3.25 

No. EX. "League Junior." Brown leather face, canvas back and 
inside palm. Laced, except at heel; padded. Strap-and-button 
fastening Each, $2.50 

All Styles Made in Rights and Lefts 
When'Or_ering for Left Handed Players Specify "Full Right" 



I0MPT ATTENTION GIVEM TO [ 

ANY COMMUNICATIONS 

A00RESSE0 TO US 



A,G.SPAt:DiNG & BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 



FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORE 

SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER 

OF THIS BOOK 



PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE, For C 



•pecial Canadian CaUlogu* 




SPALDING INFIELDERS' GLOVES 

No. BBH. "Honor." All horsehide, 

special buck tanning, including full 

lining, making this really the most 

durable and "wearable" fielders' glove 

ever put out. Leather welted seams, 

Laced at heel Each, $10.00 

No. BBl. "World Series.'* Finestquality 

buckskin. Most carefully constructed, 

being of good width and length, but not 

clumsy. Leather lined. Welted scams. 

King Patent Felt Padding. Each, $9.00 
No. PXL. "Professional." Finest buck- 
skin obtainable. Heavily padded around 

edges and little finger. Extra long to 

protect the wrist. Leather lined. Welted 

seams Each, $8.50 

No. SS. "Short Finger." Otherwise same as No. PXL Each, $8.50 

No. XWL. "League Special." Special^ tanned calfskin. Extra long to 

protect wrist. Leather lined. Welted seams Each, $8.50 

No. 2W. "Minor League." Smoked horsehide. Professional model; 

leather lined; laced at wrist; welted seams Each, $7.50 

No. 3X. "Semi-Pro." Gray buck tanned leather. A very large model. 

Correctly padded ; welted seams Each, $7.00 

No. 2X. "City League." Olive grain leather, leather palm lining and felt 

back lining Each, $6.00 

No. XL. "Club Special." Special white tanned leather; laced at wrist 

to adjust padding; welted seams Each, $6.00 

No. 4X. "Association." Black leather, specially treated. Laced at 

wrist. Welted seams; leather lined Each, $5.00 

No. WW. "Wonder." Brown leather, full leather lined; welted seams 

and binding Each, $5.00 

No. MO. "Ours." Made of selected oak tanned leather, leather welt 

Each, $4.50 
No. XS. "Practice." Good quality pearl tanned leather ; well finished ; 

welted seams Each, $4.00 

No. 15. "Regulation." Men's size. Brown tanned leather, padded ; 

welted seams Each, $3.00 

No. 15R. "Regulation." Men's size. Olive tanned leather. laced at 

wrist for padding adjustment Each, $2.75 

No. 15W. "Mascot." Men's size. Oak colored leather *' 2.50 

No. 13. "Interscholastic." Youths' size. Oak colored leather; welted 

seams Each, $2.25 

No. 14. *' Favorite." Youths' size. Oak tanned leather; leather palm 

lining Each, $2.00 

No. 17. "Youths'." Good size; special olive tanned leather; nicely 

padded; palm leather lined Each, $1.50 

No. 18. "Boys' Own." Good size; brown or olive colored leather. " $1.25 
No. 3IX. "The Winner." Oiive colored leather face; canvas back; felt 

padded Each, $1.00 

An extra piece of felt padding is enclosed with each King Patent Glove. 
All of above gloves are made with Diverted Seam (Pat. March 10, 1908), and have 
web of leather between thumb and first finger which can be cut out if not required. 
Made in Rights and Letts. When ordering for Left Handed Players Specify "Full Right." 



tOMPT ATTEKTIOH GIVEN TO | 
ANY COMMUNICATIONS 

ADDRESSED TO US 



A. G.SPALDING &, BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 



FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORES 

SEE INSIDE FRONT COVES 
OF THIS BOOH «.. 



PRICES SUBJECTTO CHANGE WITHOUT. NOTICE.. Far 



see (pedal Cv*' l '»" CtUlogue 



SPALDING BASE BALL BATS 

No 200 Spalding Double Oil Tempered Autograph Ash Bats 

Finest second growth osage ash, air dried two or three years; very tough, 
hard stock, double oiled tempered. (Boiled in oil two successive days) 
hard filled, hand rubbed and French polished. 12 models. . . Each, $2.00 

SPECIFICATIONS of Models furnished in the No. 200 line of bats listed above. 

Weight Model Length ™$t Mode! Length W^ 

39 to 46 oz. 209 33 in. 36 to 43 oz. 



Model Length 

200 34 in. 37 to 45 oz. 

201 32 in. 38 to 45 oz. 

202 34 in. 38 to 45 oz. 

203 34 in. 38 to 45 oz. 



33 in. 

32 in. 

33 in. 
33 in. 



SPALDING "PLAYERS AUTOGRAPH" BATS 

No ISO Duplicating in every case the bat made famous by the great 
player whose autograph signature is branded on it. Made from finest 
Sried, second growth, straight grained white ash, cut from upland 
timber. Special oil finish hardens with age increasing the resiliency 
and driving power Each, $1 .50 

Furnished in following models. Mention namd of player when ordering. 



ROSS YOUNG Autograph Model . 

Medium thick handle, large batting surface, giving 
immense driving power in the bands of players 
capable of swinging a heavy bat. Weights from 40 
to 60 ounces. Length 35 inches. 

LEW. McCARTY Autograph Model 
Medium size handle, generous batting surface, 
slightly bottle shaped grip. A powerful bat, and 
especially desirable for the choke style of batting. 
Weights from 41 to 47 ounces. Length 35 inches. 

VIC SAIER Autograph Model 
Fairly thin handle , well distributed striking surface. 
Weights 40 to 44 ounces. Length 34 inches. 

BENNIE KAUFF Autograph Model 
More tapered than Saier model, good striking sur- 
42 ounces. Length 



JOHN J. EVERS Autograph Model 
Sufficient wood to give splendid driving power. 
Weights from 40 to 44 ounces. Length 34 inches. 

DAVIS ROBERTSON Autograph Model 
Longest bat in regular line. Fairly thin handle, 
even tapered. Weights from 37 to 42 ounces. 
Length 35 1-2 inches. 

ROGER P. BRESNAHAN Autograph Model 
Short, large handle, well rounded end. Weights 
from 40 to 44 ounces. Length 32 1-2 inches. 



THOS. H. GRIFFITH Autograph Model 
Medium batting surface perfectly balanced, beaut- 
iful model, adapted to a great many styles of bat- 
ting, and a perfect ail around bat. No more 
desirable model has ever been produced. Weights 
from 38 to 45 ounces. Length 34 1-2 inches. 

ROGER PECKINPAUGH Autograph Model 
Beautifully tappered, medium sized grip, similar 
to the famous Sam Crawford model and one of the 
most useful all around bats in the line. Weights 
38 to 45 ounces. Length 34 1-2 inches. 

HAL CHASE Autograph Model 
Very large batting surface and long thin handle. 
Weights from 41 to 45 ounces. Length 34 inches. 

' MILLER J. HUGGINS Autograph Model 
Short small handle, body quite thick. Weights 
from 38 to 42 ounces. Length 32 inches. 

NORMAN ELBERFELD Autograph Model 
Specially adapted to small or light men. Weights 
from 35 to 39 ounces. Length 31 inches. 



Medium small handle and good striking surface. 
Weights from 40 to 45 ounces. Length 34 inches. 

HARRY H. DAVIS Autograph Model 
Light weight but well balanced. Weights from 36 
to 40 ounces. Length 34 1-2 inches. 



FRANK M. SCHULTE Autograph Model 
An excellent model. Weights from 37 to 41 ounces. 
Length 35 inches. 



FRED WILLIAMS Autograph Model 
Handle slightly thicker than Zimmerman model, 
good striking surface. Weights from 36 to 42 
ounces. Length 34 inches. 

Besides the above sixteen players, we can supply autograph bats of the following 
famous players, all duplicating the bats with which they made their great 
records: Samuel E. Crawford, Fred C. Clarke, Michael Donlin, Willie Keeler. 

If you have any particular model of bat which you wish made up or an old bat that you want duplicated, 
special attention will be given to your order if complete specifications are sent to any A. t,. bt\AUJlNG & 
BROS. Store, accompanied by the price, $1.65. The bat will be made and finished according to your 
specifications, either in the "Professional oil finish or the "Gold Medal natural finish. If the old bat is 
sent it should be expressed, charges prepaid, with your name and address on the package, and also on tag 
attached to bat. If only measurements are sent, special care should be used in drawing the bat on a blank 
sheet of paper, giving the exact shape of the bat with measurements around different parts and the length 
and the approximate weight. At least five ounces variation in weight must be allowed tor difference in 
density of timber. > 

We require at least two weeks* time lor the execution ot special bat orders. 

We do not guarantee bats against breaking, 



ATTENTION GIVEN TO | 
ANY COMMUNICATIONS 
ADDRESSED TO (IS 



A.G.SPALDING &, BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 



FOR COMPLETE LIST OF STORES 

SE£ INSIDE FRONT COVER 

OF THIS — 



PRJCES..SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT* .NOTICE. For 



wc »c«m1 Cainirlwn Catalonia' 



S?e THE SPALDING! 



SI 



& 



TRADE-MARK: GI K^ S 



SPALDING BASE BALL SHOES 

Sizes and Weights of No. FW Shoes 

Size of shoes 5 6 7 8 9 

Weight per pair 18oz 18^oz 19oz20oz21oz 

The Lightest and Best Base Ball Shoes ever made. 

No. FW. " World Series." 

Kangaroo leather uppers, fin- 
est white oak leather soles. 
Hand sewed, bench made; 
strong, soft laces. 

Pair, $21.00* $20.00 Pair 

Owing- to lightness and fineness of this shoe 
it is suitable only for fastest players. 

No. 31UP. Special Umpires' 
Shoes. Solid box toe and out- 
side padded tongue. Uppers 
of selected leather, white oak 
leathersoles, best base ball cleats. To order only. Pair, $21.00*^0.00 Pair- 
No. 31GP. For Catchers.* Otherwise same as No. 31UP. Special orders 

only Pair, $21.00* $20.00 Pair 

No. OS. "Club Special" Sprinting. Carefully selected leather; substan- 
tially constructed. Sprinting style flexible shank. (Pat. Oct. 9, 1917.) 

Pair, $1 1.00 * $10.50 Pair 

No. 35. "Amateur Special" Good quality leather, machine sewed. 

Flexible shank, (Patented Oct, 9, 1917.) Pair, $8.00 * $7.50 Pair 

No. 39. "Junior." Leather shoes, made on regular base ball shoe last. 

Plates hand riveted to heels and soles Pair, $5.00 * $u.75 Pair 




SPALDING "WORLD SERIES" CATCHERS' 

Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. 

BODY PROTECTORS 

No. 5P. Padded style, not inflated. Patented June 22. 1909; August 
24, 1909. Canvas cover, laced at sides, permitting readjustment of pad- 
ding as desired. Special body strap Each, $12.00 

No. 4P. Padded style, not inflated. Similar to No. 5P, but closed at 
sides instead of laced Each, $8.50 

No. XP. Padded style, not inflated. Brown canvas covered. •• 7.00 

No. YP. Youths'. Ribbed and padded style, not inflated. Brown 
canvas covered Each, $3.25 

No. 2Y. Padded style, good size. Well made •* 2.50 

The prices printed in italics opposite items marked with * will be Quoted only 

on orders for one-half dozen or more at one time. Quantity pi-ices not allowed on 

items not marked with * 



PROMPT ATTENTiOK GIVEN TO 

.ANY COMMUNICATIONS 

1* ^DORESSEP TO US ' 


A. G. SPALDING &, BROS. 

-STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 


FOR COMPLETE UST OF STORES 

SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER 
OF THIS BOOK 



PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. For Canadian price. «e .ped.1 Canadian Catalogue^ 



SPALDING 

Play Ball! 

Every player, manager, coach—and 
" fan"— should send for a copy of 
the new Spalding catalogue for 1920. 
Mailed free from any Spalding store 
(see list of addresses on inside front 
cover). 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




A! 

eV< 005 901 355 5 i 

Official and Standard 




SPALDING 
ATHLETIC 

S 



• :• i 




are the 

Standard 
of the 
World 



A. G. Spalding &Bros. 

Maintain Wholesale and Retail Stores in the following Cities 

London, England 
Liverpool, England 
Manchester, England 
Birmingham, England 
Bristol, England 
Edinburgh, Scotland 
Glasgow, Scotland 



New York 

Newark 

Philadelphia 

Boston 

Pittsburgh 

Buffalo 

Syracuse 

Rochester 

Albany 



Baltimore 

Washington 

Atlanta 

New Orleans 

Dallas 

Cleveland 

Cincinnati 

Columbus 

Indianapolis 



Chicago 
St. Louis 
Detroit 
Louisville 
Milwaukee 
Kansas City 
Des Moines 
Minneapolis 
St. Paul 



San Francisco 

Oakland 

Los Angeles 

Denver 

Salt Lake City 

Seattle 

Portland, Ore. 

Montreal, Canada Sydney, Australia 
Toronto, Canada Paris, France 



Factories owned and operated by A. G. Spalding Sc Bros., 
and where all of Spalding's Trade-Marked Athletic 
Goods are made, are located in the following cities 



New York Chicago San Francisco London, England 
Brooklyn Philadelphia Leeds, England 

Boston Chicopee, Mass. Brantford, Canada 1 



